I felt that West Ham blocked us well in the first half, we had problems to find fluency in our game.

I liked the game because we needed to be patient. I told the players at half-time if we keep discipline we will find space. That’s what we did in the second half.

We had chances in the first 15 minutes but we couldn’t take them. When they came back to 1-1 it was bit of a test but once we scored the second they collapsed a bit and we could score many goals.

What was today like for yourself and the players?

I think we are professional and we focus on our job.

To be professional it means you are capable of doing your job, even if emotionally it is a little bit special. That’s what I did my whole life, I was not always in easy circumstances. I believe to be professional is always to prioritise your job and I will continue to do that as long as I am here.

On the fans chanting his name?

I am happy when the fans are happy, I’m even ready to suffer to make them happy. If sometimes they make me happy as well, I take it.

Arsene Wenger waves to the crowd.

Every decision I’ve made in 22 years has been for the good and the sake of Arsenal. Even if there were wrong decisions, I feel my one priority was to do well for the club.

I tried to influence the club on the structure side, on the development side and of course the style of play and the results.

To combine the three was not easy. But I believe I will leave a club which is in a very strong position on all fronts. My target was always to do that.

I give an opportunity to the guy who comes in after me to do even better in the next 20 years. That’s my wish.

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No. I always feel that the most important thing in a club is everybody does his job.

My job is take care of the team, the results, the finances, the transfers - That’s what I did.

My job is not to select the next manager.

What made you feel this is the right time to go?

I made a statement. That is basically all in it. It’s not the moment to come out on that. I would like to focus, to keep the priorities right until the end of the season. Focus on how well I can do until the end.

I will speak about that a bit later in my life.

Can you describe the emotions you have gone through?

Not really. It’s mixed feelings.

I must say I’m touched by all the praise I got from English football, I’m grateful for having had that experience in this country. For me that is special.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on April 22, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Your football is special. The passion is special, you will find that nowhere else.

I know I will not get that anymore in my life. So of course that is absolutely special that I could see the development of the Premier League in 22 years, that is sensational and I hope that will last for a very long time

After that, I had the feeling a bit to assist life at my funeral. People speak about you like how you were, which was interesting.

So I don’t need to die anymore, I know what it is like.

I would like to thank everyone who has been absolutely nice for me. It’s a bit our job, maybe I got a bit more praise that I deserved and also more criticism that I deserved.

I just told you, I will talk one day about that. It’s not the right moment.

On managing again in England?

If you speak about emotions. For me that would be emotionally difficult.

I don’t know how well I will live without that, so at the moment it’s difficult for me to say never.

But at the minute, I’m attached to attached to this club to go anywhere else. It would be very difficult.

Has it hit you yet that you will be leaving this club in the summer?

I will completely never leave this club. My first look will always be for the result of Arsenal and how well the club develops. I will always be attached.

It’s difficult, you do not give 22 years of your life like that. I gave the best years of my life to this club. I arrived at 46 years old and I worked seven days a week, not six and a half. Seven, for 22 years.

Nacho Monreal of Arsenal celebrates scoring his side's first goal with Granit Xhaka and Alex Iwobi during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on April 22, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

So you can not just walk away and say bye bye, that is absolutely normal. You can’t be completely committed and then walk away like nothing has happened, it’s impossible.

I know that I will face that challenge. That it will be difficult for me. But I had other difficulties in my life and I hope I will get through this one as well.

Do you hope this announcement will galvanise the club?

I don’t know. The club needs to prepare the future. The earlier it is settled the better it is.

You can’t come in on June 1st and say we separate now, do what you want.

When Sir Alex left United, he retired. Do you want to manage again?

Maybe, I don’t know. It’s new for me. For Ferguson, yes. It was different. He is still at the club, he is still at Manchester United.

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I can’t tell you much more. I don’t want you to come back to me and say in six months you lied to us. I know I did that a few times.

But would I like to be definite today? I don’t know, I don’t know how I will respond to that situation.

What do the club need to do to get back competing for the Premier League and Champions League?

You take me and you take a guy who is much stronger in every strong point I have.

Are you a bit relieved now?

No, because I was not tired.

But I believe this club is respected all over the world, much more than in England. Our fans did not give the image of unity at the club I want, that was hurtful.

Because I feel the club is respected and overall the image we gave of our club is not what it is and not what I like.

Can you go into that a bit more?

This club has a fantastic image, for me that is absolutely vital.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger walks to the pitch before the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on April 22, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Sport is about winning and losing and you have to accept that you are going to lose games. But it’s about something bigger. For me, that was always a worry how the club was perceived worldwide.

For kids who play in Africa and China and America. The dream that it can create for you children who want to play football.

All our clubs have a responsibility in that

So the fans hurt you?

No, not me.

So they hurt the club in your mind?

Look, I’m not resentful and I do not want to make stupid headlines. I’m not resentful with the fans.

I just feel if my personality is in the way of what I think our club is, then for me that is more than me.

That’s what I want to say. It’s nothing to do with the fans. The fans were not happy, I can understand that and I have to live with that, I have to accept that.

But what was being created was damaging?

I don’t know if it was damaging, it was not corresponding with how I feel the club should be perceived and is perceived all over the world.

I travel a lot, this club is respected all over the world and that’s down to work. The way we play football, the way we behave, the way we treat people.

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I want that to go on and to be respected and to give the image I think is right. There is a lot of money in the game, but above that, more than the money, more than the result, is the way the club is perceived and the example the club gives all over the world.

On Elneny’s injury

"It doesn't look too good. He will have an X-ray, I don't know how bad it is."

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